


Free as a Bird

by elem (elem44)



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-11-30 13:20:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11464428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elem44/pseuds/elem
Summary: A post-Endgame fixer upper. Chakotay visits a very happy Kathryn in Indiana. They sort out their lives.





	Free as a Bird

**Author's Note:**

> For the Fic101 challenge. Prompt: high.

“Kathryn! Kathryn! Where are you?” Her mother’s singsong voice drifted over the backyard and down towards where she was perched, high up in the branches of ‘her’ tree. She breathed deeply and with a broad smile, closed her eyes and listened to her mother’s voice. It almost made her laugh. When she was a child that voice made her want to scream with frustration. Then it would have meant an end to her solitude, but now it was music to her ears.

She was home.

After seven long and lonely years she was back in Indiana and she’d happily listen to her mother bellow at her for as long as Gretchen felt the urge. Kathryn chuckled to herself as the swell of love and relief threatened to overwhelm her.

It hadn’t been until she’d stood on the damp grass of the Presidio that the reality had hit – they were actually home, and all the nagging doubts that had been her constant companions for the last seven years had flown. As much as she’d tried to fool everyone, deep down she’d doubted that they would achieve this wondrous goal. She honestly didn’t think they’d get home in her lifetime. She’d told herself for years that they would make it, buoyed the crew with her unwavering optimism and convinced all those around her, and those here on Earth, that she would get them home. But in the depths of her soul, she’d had very little faith in her ability. Her future self had known of her insecurities. They were the Admiral’s doubts as well, Kathryn supposed, and she’d had to live with that fear of failure for many more years than Kathryn. It was something that must have eaten away at her from the inside. ‘Gnawing self doubt’ was such an apt description. But against the odds and against her own deep seated fear of failure, they’d made it. They were home and she was still coming to terms with the reality.

Every now and then she’d ask her mother to reassure her that it was really true. Gretchen would laugh and hug her close, run her fingers over her face or stroke her hair, just as she’d done when Kathryn was a little girl. With her delighted mother’s reassurance and those familiar actions, Kathryn would believe, until the next time the insecurities would visit. She imagined soon the truth would settle and she would be able to look towards the future, but for now, everything was in short sharp relief. Each meal with her family was savoured, every visit from long lost friends was relished, and these moments alone in these wonderfully familiar surroundings were succour for her soul. She’d done it. Achieved the impossible. She’d got them home.

“Kathryn. Are you up there?” Her mother was directly below now.

“Yes, Mom. I’m here.”

“Well, answer me please, dear. There’s someone here to see you.”

Kathryn peered down through the branches and smiled, recognising the dark head of hair. “Chakotay! Shall I come down or do you want to climb up?”

She heard his laughter rumble and watched as he looked up at her through the branches. “Is there room up there?”

She laughed in return. “Plenty.”

“Kathryn, are you going to make your guest climb a tree?”

“He’s not a guest, Mom. He’s Chakotay. Come on up.”

She heard the ‘oooph!’, and the tree shook slightly as he leapt up onto the lowest branch, then there was the odd grunt and groan as he hoisted himself from one branch to the other. It wasn’t a difficult climb, but like her, he wasn’t young anymore. Within a few minutes his face popped up beside her and with a grin to match hers, he took a seat beside her and looked around him. “Great spot.”

“Isn’t it.” She leant over and pecked his cheek. “How are you, Chakotay?”

“Not as young as I used to be, it seems. I’ll need a little lie down before I try that again.” He grinned at her. “How are you, Kathryn? Your mother said you’ve been busy.”

Kathryn looked over her shoulder and could see her mother walking back towards the house. “Yes. There’s been lots of catching up to do. We’ve had friends and family dropping in nearly everyday. It’s been wonderful but a little tiring. How was Sweden?”

Chakotay shrugged. “Cold, wet and uncomfortable.” Kathryn raised her brow in question. He shrugged. “I wasn’t a hit with the Hansen family. In fact, Seven’s Aunt Irene told me in no uncertain terms that I wasn’t an appropriate suitor for her niece and she would be happy for me to leave at any time. So I did.”

“Oh dear. Are you alright? And what about Seven?”

Chakotay shrugged. “Seven is thriving and I’m fine, although feeling a little foolish.”

“Why?”

He gave her a sideways look. “Could you really see that relationship lasting? It didn’t take me long to realise that it was doomed. On Voyager it was different. It was like this microcosm of the universe, but here, with the world to explore, and the Federation at her feet, Seven’s horizons have broadened. Mine have too as it turns out. To be honest, I think Seven was pleased to see me go. I was cramping her style somewhat.” He gave her a wry smile. “I wasn’t sorry to leave.”

“I’m sorry, Chakotay. I really thought you’d found something with her.”

“No, but I’m not surprised. Besides, I have to admit that once the hurt pride had subsided, I got a chance to take stock…” He turned to her and shook his head. “Why didn’t you tell me, Kathryn?”

“Tell you what?”

“What a fool I was.”

“You weren’t a fool, Chakotay. It’s just you. You wear that big heart of yours right here on your sleeve.” She laid her hand on his forearm and gave it a squeeze.

He grunted. “I’m a fool and what made it worse, and better as well, I suppose, was that in the end, I didn’t really care. I was just glad to get out of there. I was expecting the heartbreak to hit once I got back here, but all I’ve felt is this wonderful sense of freedom.” He looked at her again with a half grin and tugged on his ear. “Does that make me a bad person?”

Kathryn burst out laughing. “You’ve been around Tom Paris far too much. And, no, it doesn’t make you a bad person. It just makes you a regular person. One who makes mistakes just like the rest of us.”

“Us? Kathryn, you don’t make mistakes.”

She snorted. “Oh, please. Don’t say things like that or I’ll fall out of the tree from the shock. God, Chakotay, I made so many and most of them were doozies.”

“Doozies?”

“It’s one of Aunt Martha’s sayings. It means big, _really_ big.” She leant against him slightly and he leant towards her as well. “Just think back. The Equinox is the first one that comes to mind. Now you can’t tell me that wasn’t a mistake on a grand scale. I was just so lucky that you were there to make sure I didn’t step even further over the line and make a mistake that I wouldn’t have been able to live with.” She patted his hand. “You saved my life that day. And I don’t think I ever thanked you.”

They turned towards one another and she lifted herself up and kissed him lightly on the lips. “Thank you.”

His brow knitted very slightly, but then he smiled. “I think you were too busy wanting to kill me at the time to worry about ‘thank yous’. You did in your own way though. I knew you were sorry, and I did understand, Kathryn. I knew why you behaved as you did, and the reason I stopped you wasn’t just that I wanted to save Noah Lessing.” He looked out over the fields, his eyes unseeing as he thought back through the years. “I’d done things like that in the Maquis and they still sit like a blight on my conscience. I didn’t want you to have to bear a similar burden.” She placed her hand on his arm in comfort. He smiled down at her. “You had enough guilt to carry. Unwarranted, I might add.”

Kathryn rested her head on his shoulder. “Always looking out for me. Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done without you.” She shook her head and sat up straight. “Besides, the guilt doesn’t matter anymore. We’re home and I’m going to revel in the joy of that for as long as I can. I’m as high as a kite with the feeling.” She flung her arms wide and wobbled a bit. He put his arms around her shoulder to steady her.

“You’ll be as flat as a pancake if you fall from this height.”

She rested her head back on his shoulder, and placed her hand on his thigh and laughed. “Nah, I think I could fly.” She turned to him. “Chakotay, I’m so happy to be home. I haven’t felt like this in years. The weight of responsibility has been lifted and I feel like I’m floating on air. Can you feel it too?”

He grinned. Just being here with her and seeing her like this was all his wounded soul needed to heal. “I can feel it, Kathryn. Seeing you so happy makes me feel it too. I love seeing you like this.”

She cocked her head to the side and studied his face. “I’m so glad you’re here.” Her face broke into a beaming smile.

Chakotay looked into her eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes, so familiar and so dear. Her hand was warm on his thigh, and her thumb had begun to stroke back and forth. He didn’t think she was even aware of what she was doing. All of a sudden he realised something. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but here with you.”

Kathryn nodded, her face still lit by her brilliant smile. “You know, I don’t want you to be anywhere else either.” She wriggled closer and he tightened his arm around her shoulders.

They sat like that for several minutes then Kathryn squeezed his thigh. “It’s still there, isn’t it?”

Chakotay nodded. He knew exactly what she was talking about. “Yes. It’s still there. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

She felt him heave a sigh and took a quick look at him. He was smiling. She lifted her hand and stoked his cheek. “I’m so glad we didn’t lose it.”

He took her hand in his and kissed the palm. “So am I.” He turned towards her and their faces drifted towards one another. Just as their lips were about to meet they both wobbled and tilted backwards.

“Yikes!” They pulled apart and laughed. Chakotay peered over his shoulder down to the ground. “I can just see the headlines. ‘Returned heroes’ kissing tragedy’. That would be the ultimate irony.”

“Well, let’s climb down and quickly. I don’t want to put this off any longer.” With that she started shimmying down the trunk, leaping from branch to branch. He shook his head in amazement and then took off after her. He thudded to the ground first and held his arms open for her. Putting her hands on his shoulders, she leapt down from the lowest branch and into his arms. He overbalanced and fell back onto the ground with her lying on top of him.

Laughing, Kathryn rested her chin on her hands on his chest. “Smooth move, Commander.”

He rolled her under him and lay cradled within her open thighs. He was aroused and could feel the heat of her through her light pants. Grinning, he pushed her hair away from her face. “I’ve got you where I want you.”

“More importantly, it’s where I want to be. Kiss me, Commander?”

“Aye, Captain.” And with that he lowered his head and his mouth met hers. It was a slow languid kiss, lips caressed lips as hands caressed bodies – each on their own voyage of discovery.

The fingers of one hand wove into his hair and held his head to hers. The other drifted down his body and dug into his buttock holding him hard against her.

His hands slid down her body, stroking over her hips and thighs, then back up her side with his thumbs skimming over her breasts and flicking her nipples. There was a groan, but neither was sure who had made the noise and neither really cared. They pulled apart slowly and smiled at one another.

“Well, Chakotay, I’d say as a first contact, that went very well.”

He chuckled. “I concur. But now I’m scaring myself. I sound like Tuvok.”

She wriggled against him. “Rest assured you don’t feel like him.”

“And how may I….. never mind. I don’t think I want to know.”

Kathryn laughed. “I really don’t know how Tuvok feels, but I doubt it’s like this.” She thrust herself up against him as he cupped and squeezed her breast, rubbing his thumb across her hard nipple. Her eyes darkened and they rocked against one another.

“Kathryn! Chakotay! Where are you?” He mother’s singsong voice drifted over to where they were lying in the grass kissing. Kathryn laughed. “She’s still got it. Mothers must have inbuilt sensors. ‘Alert, alert, daughter enjoying herself.’ Come on. I may be in my forties, but I still don’t want to get caught ‘fraternising’ by my mother.”

“We’re here, Mom.” Kathryn was on her feet and Chakotay was standing just behind her, with his hand on her shoulder.

“There you are. Dinner’s ready.”

“We’re coming.”

They followed Gretchen up to the house and through the back door to the dining room. The table was set for two, with candles lit and a bottle of champagne opened and ready to serve.

“Mother?”

Gretchen kissed her daughter as she pulled on her coat, and wrapped a scarf around her neck. “Dinner is served and in the stasis unit. Dessert is in the cooler. Have a wonderful time, dear. I’m so glad you brought him home.”

She stepped up to Chakotay and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Welcome to the family, dear. Congratulations.”

Kathryn and Chakotay both stared in stunned silence as Gretchen waved and moved towards the library and the transporter pad that was tucked into the corner of the room. It took a few seconds before they could both move.

“Mom?” Kathryn raced through the door with Chakotay hot on her heels. Her mother was standing on the transporter ready to go.

“Yes, dear?”

“How did you know?”

Gretchen grinned. “Mothers always know. You’ll get your chance to find out one day. I’ll be at Phoebe’s. Goodnight, my dears.” With that she blew them a kiss. “Energise.” And with a grin she shimmered out of existence.

Kathryn looked at Chakotay. “What did I tell you? It’s uncanny, and a little scary.”

Chakotay shook his head. “I’ve never…. Did she say you’d get your chance one day?”

“I think she did.”

His grin broadened and he looked at Kathryn with loving eyes. “Come on, let’s have dinner and then we’ve got some predictions to fulfil.”

Kathryn frowned as she took Chakotay’s hand and began walking from the room. Suddenly realisation hit and she turned to look at the transporter pad. A slow smile crept over her face. Predictions, hmmm?

Well, Mothers know best.

 

- _fin_ -


End file.
